An Extremely Spooky Guide to Halloween Concerts

The chilling winds and dreary rain this past weekend were no coincidence — even Dallas weather has been preparing to bring out its Halloween best as the greatest of all holidays is upon us. The city's warlocks have pulled out all the stops to whip up a whole cauldron of horrifying Halloween concerts, and we've picked out some of the spooky best. Yes, "Thriller" will be played, now and evermore.

Thursday, Oct. 29Kendrick Lamar at Southside BallroomOn this year's colossally important To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick takes time during "King Kunta" to call out ghostwriters, who may have been in the spotlight this year. Hunting down and wrangling ghostwriters essentially makes Kendrick a ghostbuster. (Plus, his tickets sold out frighteningly fast. A truly terrifying campfire story ought to end with, "When suddenly, they didn't get Kendrick tickets!" Then some kid in the circle faints.)

Doyle (of the Misfits) at Trees Is there anything more Halloween than (1/4th of) the Misfits? His full legal name is "Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein," which is the mark of a truly devoted Halloween worshiper, and his new record Abominator was released by "Monsterman Records." If that isn't enough, Dallas-based horror punk band Just Another Monster will open, which will only add to the layers of, uh, spookiness.

Friday, Oct. 30Freakers' Ball at Verizon TheatreMarilyn Manson is essentially Halloween royalty, even releasing his own cover of "This Is Halloween," which should be included in your Halloween playlist if you've foolishly chosen to have your own party. The only thing scarier than Manson on Halloween weekend might be that outfit in his first interview on Letterman.

Saturday, Oct. 31The Coathangers at The Foundry and Pariah ArtsRiot grrrl punk trio The Coathangers love Dallas so much that they're actually playing two Halloween shows here. Their first show's at The Foundry, and then later they're playing an inevitably scarier show over at Pariah Arts. Legend has it that if you see the Coathangers three times in one night you turn into Beetlejuice or something.

Vinnie Paul's Rockstar Halloween Bash at Gas Monkey Bar and Grill When you think of Halloween, your first thought probably isn't "Def Leppard cover band." But this annual Halloween party is hosted by Pantera's own Vinnie Paul, who is coincidentally the best person to judge their Vinnie Paul Look-a-like Contest. If you already planned on dressing like Vinnie, you might as well come meet him and get the chance to win... something? Probably candy.

Thriller Night (featuring Who's Bad) at Gas Monkey LiveMichael Jackson's iconic, 13-minute video for "Thriller" may not be fully recreated at Gas Monkey, but rest assured this Michael Jackson cover band won't disappoint. They've been selling out venues across the country on their tour, and they've chosen to zombie-stumble into Dallas on Halloween itself. If you're smart, you'll dress up as one of the undead to blend in and get someone to take a picture of you for your wilting Instagram account.